Interim Muskegon Heights city manager Jim Stibitz on Friday officially submitted his resignation after serving in the position for one-year.

James Stibiitz

Stibitz, who was likely to have been offered the job permanently this month, has accepted a job with the Muskegon Area Chamber of Commerce, where he will serve as accounting manager.

"It's an opportunity that perhaps fits me better," said Stibitz, who served as the city's finance director from 1980 to 1992.

"(Serving as interim city manager) has been extremely interesting and extremely challeging," he added. "But, they have a lot of good employees here that really take their jobs and city to heart."

According to Stibitz's resignation letter, his last day with the city will tentatively be Dec. 16. He has offered to continue part-time until a permanent replacement is found.

Stibitz said he planned to work full-time until the 16th. But he was informed Monday he would have to begin part-time because of the cost of his retirement benefits to the city.

The council voted unanimously Monday to retain Stibitz on a part-time basis.

Mayor Darrell Paige said Monday the council soon will begin discussing how to proceed with finding a permanent city manager.

Despite his regret as seeing him leave, Paige had great praise for Stibitz.

"He's done an excellent job," the Mayor said last night. "He's been a real godsend for us."

Stibitz's announced departure comes just two weeks after the resignation of the city's Downtown Development Director Shannon McMaster.

On Monday, the council also learned that City Clerk Kordilia Buckner had been placed on medical leave for an indefinite time.

The council appointed Sharon Thomas, an income tax department clerk, as interim city clerk.

The news about Buckner was especially distressing because her office was working to meet the state-mandated deadline for sending out absentee ballot applications for the January presidential election primaries.

Stibitz, Paige and Thomas were to meet with Muskegon County Clerk officials Tuesday to discuss upcoming election preparation.

"All we know is that she is on medical leave," Paige told the council Monday. "We can't do anything regarding the city clerk's position until we find out her status, which we don't know as of now."

When reached at home Monday, Buckner said, "I have been taken off work by my doctor due to health issues." She declined to elaborate.

Prior to the Nov. 6 election, Buckner had complained to council that she needed more help in her office and for the election.

Buckner has also had a long-running feud with her boss, Stibitz. The two administrators and council have vaguely referred to the problems as "management" issues.

The feud has gotten so bad in recent months that Buckner, whose office is right next door to the city manager's, only communicates with Stibitz by e-mail. Both have been scolded publicly by the council in recent months.